Those of you interested in the People's Pitstop have a couple of hours left to vote on which NASCAR drivers should start for us during Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Kansas Motor Speedway. But now, it's time to discuss one of the many facets of fantasy football that can make you do this.
The best time to be a fantasy football player may be the last few days before the season kicks off. Your team is undefeated, all your players lead the league in points and the NFL is still unpredictable enough to make you think this will be the year. The year you win that coveted trophy, and the the year your team gets to play the big game in the House That Texas Taxpayers Built.
Then the games kick off, and sooner or later, you have to make a choice. Do you maintain faith in the lineup that caught your eye in August, or do you adjust to new realities?
First, let's address the easiest question. You cut your kicker at the first sign of trouble. You don't wait until his team brings in a 46-year-old to try out for the job.
Injuries are also easy -- sometimes. Actually, they range from "injured reserve" easy to "game-time decision" hard. Teams also can make your decision easy by benching your player or giving him his walking papers.
The hard part comes when the player performs poorly but doesn't get sent to the bench. Do you hope that this is the week a player like Brett Favre to play his way out of a slump? Do you assume Rashard Mendenhall will bounce back once his quarterback comes back from his suspension for being stupid? Do you ignore the high draft pick you spent on Larry Fitzgerald and turn to a waiver wire star like Lance Moore?
The truth is that there is no one answer to any of these questions. If there were, there would be far fewer people with opinions touting themselves as "experts," and fantasy football would be far less fun if it were predictable. All you can do is make the decision that you feel is best for you and your team. If your decision turns out to be wrong, at least you can say you followed your heart/gut/instincts. This may make you less likely to want to do this.
The only team that doesn't have this option: the People's Pigskin. We have to do what you, the Internet, tell us to do. So tell us what to do.
We'll be back with the results of the NASCAR polls.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The People's Facts - Price Chopper 400
First of all, a quick note of thanks to those of you who responded to the call for quick votes on which defense the People's Pigskin should pick up for this week's matchup against the t-bay cuervonatersXXL. As you can see at the bottom of this post, you, the Internet, voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Tennessee Titans. The waiver request was made and granted, and the Titans will start for the Internet's favorite fantasy football team.
That's one position down and eight to go. You can vote on the rest of our lineup from now to Sunday morning. You also can vote from now through Thursday evening on the drivers who will start for the People's Pitstop in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
Speaking of that race, it's time to offer some information about the site.
Track basics: Kansas Speedway, a 1.5-mile tri-oval constructed in 2001, is one of the newest tracks on the circuit. It is also one of the hottest tracks on the circuit; less than a decade after its first race, it was awarded a second race for 2011. Are you upset that Atlanta Motor Speedway lost its second date? Here's one of the tracks to blame.
Recent winners: Tony Stewart (2009), Jimmie Johnson (2008), Greg Biffle (2007).
Who wins here a lot: In a word, nobody. Stewart and Jeff Gordon share the lead among active NASCAR drivers with ... drum roll, please ... two wins apiece.
Some complex geography: This week's track is located in Kansas City. Only it's not that Kansas City. It's in Kansas City, Kansas, which lies across the Missouri River from Kansas City, Missouri.
Maybe someone from that part of the country can answer this: Do Kansans get an inferiority complex from the fact that the primary city named for their state is located in Missouri? No? Moving on, then.
Here is the Yahoo Sports preview of this week's race. The polls (both football and NASCAR) are open. Take a minute to vote now.
[polldaddy poll=3836809]
That's one position down and eight to go. You can vote on the rest of our lineup from now to Sunday morning. You also can vote from now through Thursday evening on the drivers who will start for the People's Pitstop in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
Speaking of that race, it's time to offer some information about the site.
Track basics: Kansas Speedway, a 1.5-mile tri-oval constructed in 2001, is one of the newest tracks on the circuit. It is also one of the hottest tracks on the circuit; less than a decade after its first race, it was awarded a second race for 2011. Are you upset that Atlanta Motor Speedway lost its second date? Here's one of the tracks to blame.
Recent winners: Tony Stewart (2009), Jimmie Johnson (2008), Greg Biffle (2007).
Who wins here a lot: In a word, nobody. Stewart and Jeff Gordon share the lead among active NASCAR drivers with ... drum roll, please ... two wins apiece.
Some complex geography: This week's track is located in Kansas City. Only it's not that Kansas City. It's in Kansas City, Kansas, which lies across the Missouri River from Kansas City, Missouri.
Maybe someone from that part of the country can answer this: Do Kansans get an inferiority complex from the fact that the primary city named for their state is located in Missouri? No? Moving on, then.
Here is the Yahoo Sports preview of this week's race. The polls (both football and NASCAR) are open. Take a minute to vote now.
[polldaddy poll=3836809]
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Quick Defense Poll and Week 3 Results
First things first: Bye week season is upon us, and for the People's Pigskin, that means finding a defense/special teams unit to fill in for the Minnesota Vikings. A new poll is up, and this one needs to close TONIGHT, because ESPN will process waiver requests on Wednesday morning. Here is a look at the candidates:
Seattle Seahawks: 2nd among D/STs with 42 fantasy points, including 26 last week. They visit the St. Louis Rams this week.
Tennessee Titans: 4th among D/STs with 32 fantasy points, including 14 last week. They host the Denver Broncos this week.
Chicago Bears: 5th among D/STs with 28 fantasy points, including 13 Monday night. They visit the New York Giants this week.
Indianapolis Colts: Tied for 7th among D/STs with 26 fantasy points, including 9 last week. They visit the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.
If our request is rejected (because someone who's actully lost a game made a request for the same defense), we'll offer another poll. In the meantime, please vote now. We'll wait.
(Whistling the "Jeopardy" theme)
OK, back to the football. Thanks to the frequently intelligent votes of you, the Internet, the People's Pigskin beat the Chicago VinSethBears by a score of 115-91. That means the World Wide Web's favorite fantasy football team is the only team in the People's League with a record of THREE-AND-OH, BABY!
Here's a breakdown of the results.
Peyton Manning, QB: 27 for 43 passing, 325 yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 rushes for minus-1 yard and 25 fantasy points. We're going to have to speak to Manning about that trying-to-run thing.
Michael Turner, RB: 30 rushes for 114 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions for 11 yards and 18 fantasy points. Looks like that groin injury isn't a problem at all. The only thing hurt in Sunday's overtime game was Garrett Hartley's employment status.
Darren McFadden, RB: 25 rushes for 105 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions for 17 yards and 17 fantasy points. Another running back who had a strong day while watching a kicker suffer.
Dwayne Bowe, Flex: 2 receptions, 61 yards, 1 touchdown and 12 fantasy points. Never underestimate the value of trickery.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 6 receptions, 56 yards, 1 rush for 2 yards and 5 fantasy points. Like the rest of Detroit Lions, Johnson can't wait for Matthew Stafford to heal.
Chad Ochocinco, WR: 4 receptions, 34 yards and 3 fantasy points. Mr. Eight-Five doesn't have a backup quarterback to use as an excuse. Looks like he's going the "Tweet about my injuries" route instead.
Antonio Gates, TE: 7 receptions, 109 yards, 1 touchdown and 16 fantasy points. Rotowire.com says it best: "Gates continues to be Philip Rivers' most trusted pass catcher and seems like the person who is benefiting the most from Vincent Jackson's absence."
Minnesota Vikings, D/ST: 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered, 1 sack, 10 points allowed and 11 fantasy points. Don't cry about losing them to a bye week. Despite the strong outing against the Lions, this defense ranks 17th with only 20 fantasy points.
Jeff Reed, K: 1 for 1 on field goals, 5 for 5 on extra points and 8 fantasy points. Ironically, the butt-whipping that the Pittsburgh Steelers delivered to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers held Reed's point total down.
Bench: Chad Henne put up 20 points, while Justin Forsett scored 9. Kenny Britt and Vince Young scored 8 apiece.
Next up for the People's Pigskin is a date with the 2-1 t-bay cuervonatersXXL. It's time for you, the Internet, to help us find the way to 4-0. The defense poll will close tonight, but the other football polls (located below the NASCAR ones) will close Sunday morning. Please vote.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track.
Seattle Seahawks: 2nd among D/STs with 42 fantasy points, including 26 last week. They visit the St. Louis Rams this week.
Tennessee Titans: 4th among D/STs with 32 fantasy points, including 14 last week. They host the Denver Broncos this week.
Chicago Bears: 5th among D/STs with 28 fantasy points, including 13 Monday night. They visit the New York Giants this week.
Indianapolis Colts: Tied for 7th among D/STs with 26 fantasy points, including 9 last week. They visit the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.
If our request is rejected (because someone who's actully lost a game made a request for the same defense), we'll offer another poll. In the meantime, please vote now. We'll wait.
(Whistling the "Jeopardy" theme)
OK, back to the football. Thanks to the frequently intelligent votes of you, the Internet, the People's Pigskin beat the Chicago VinSethBears by a score of 115-91. That means the World Wide Web's favorite fantasy football team is the only team in the People's League with a record of THREE-AND-OH, BABY!
Here's a breakdown of the results.
Peyton Manning, QB: 27 for 43 passing, 325 yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 rushes for minus-1 yard and 25 fantasy points. We're going to have to speak to Manning about that trying-to-run thing.
Michael Turner, RB: 30 rushes for 114 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions for 11 yards and 18 fantasy points. Looks like that groin injury isn't a problem at all. The only thing hurt in Sunday's overtime game was Garrett Hartley's employment status.
Darren McFadden, RB: 25 rushes for 105 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions for 17 yards and 17 fantasy points. Another running back who had a strong day while watching a kicker suffer.
Dwayne Bowe, Flex: 2 receptions, 61 yards, 1 touchdown and 12 fantasy points. Never underestimate the value of trickery.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 6 receptions, 56 yards, 1 rush for 2 yards and 5 fantasy points. Like the rest of Detroit Lions, Johnson can't wait for Matthew Stafford to heal.
Chad Ochocinco, WR: 4 receptions, 34 yards and 3 fantasy points. Mr. Eight-Five doesn't have a backup quarterback to use as an excuse. Looks like he's going the "Tweet about my injuries" route instead.
Antonio Gates, TE: 7 receptions, 109 yards, 1 touchdown and 16 fantasy points. Rotowire.com says it best: "Gates continues to be Philip Rivers' most trusted pass catcher and seems like the person who is benefiting the most from Vincent Jackson's absence."
Minnesota Vikings, D/ST: 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered, 1 sack, 10 points allowed and 11 fantasy points. Don't cry about losing them to a bye week. Despite the strong outing against the Lions, this defense ranks 17th with only 20 fantasy points.
Jeff Reed, K: 1 for 1 on field goals, 5 for 5 on extra points and 8 fantasy points. Ironically, the butt-whipping that the Pittsburgh Steelers delivered to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers held Reed's point total down.
Bench: Chad Henne put up 20 points, while Justin Forsett scored 9. Kenny Britt and Vince Young scored 8 apiece.
Next up for the People's Pigskin is a date with the 2-1 t-bay cuervonatersXXL. It's time for you, the Internet, to help us find the way to 4-0. The defense poll will close tonight, but the other football polls (located below the NASCAR ones) will close Sunday morning. Please vote.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Looking Back at the Monster Mile
As we prepare for the Monday night game between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, the People's Pigskin enjoys a 56-point lead over the Chicago VinSethBears. Our opponent has Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Johnny Knox and Robbie Gould in tonight's game. (That's right, four Bears; care to guess how this fantasy football team got its name?) This matchup is far from settled. Tune in Tuesday for a wrap-up.
In the meantime, let's discuss something that has been settled: the 281 points the People's Pitstop scored during Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway, including the bonus point Denny Hamlin recorded for qualifying fourth. Our season total is now 7,479, 55,859th among all Yahoo Sports competitors and 74th place among those in the Fans of From the Marbles league. Here are the details.
Jimmie Johnson: Started 1st, finished 1st, 191 laps led and 120 fantasy points, including 10 for winning the pole and 20 for leading more laps than anyone else. Simply put, he kicked butt.
Ryan Newman: Started 13th, finished 8th and 76 fantasy points. Good enough to be noticed, but not good enough to lead.
Matt Kenseth: Started 14th, finished 18th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 56 fantasy points. It is fitting that Kenseth ends his season for the People's Pitstop the way his whole season went as a Sprint Cup driver: making hardly a ripple.
Scott Speed: Started 20th, finished 32nd (7 laps behind the leaders) and 28 fantasy points. You want a quiet race? Check out this lap-by-lap report from the race. Scott Speed's only mention comes in Lap 91, when he goes a lap down.
The NASCAR folks take their act to Kansas this week, and we have a whole new set of driver lineup polls available. Please vote. They will close Thursday night.
We'll be back with football results.
In the meantime, let's discuss something that has been settled: the 281 points the People's Pitstop scored during Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway, including the bonus point Denny Hamlin recorded for qualifying fourth. Our season total is now 7,479, 55,859th among all Yahoo Sports competitors and 74th place among those in the Fans of From the Marbles league. Here are the details.
Jimmie Johnson: Started 1st, finished 1st, 191 laps led and 120 fantasy points, including 10 for winning the pole and 20 for leading more laps than anyone else. Simply put, he kicked butt.
Ryan Newman: Started 13th, finished 8th and 76 fantasy points. Good enough to be noticed, but not good enough to lead.
Matt Kenseth: Started 14th, finished 18th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 56 fantasy points. It is fitting that Kenseth ends his season for the People's Pitstop the way his whole season went as a Sprint Cup driver: making hardly a ripple.
Scott Speed: Started 20th, finished 32nd (7 laps behind the leaders) and 28 fantasy points. You want a quiet race? Check out this lap-by-lap report from the race. Scott Speed's only mention comes in Lap 91, when he goes a lap down.
The NASCAR folks take their act to Kansas this week, and we have a whole new set of driver lineup polls available. Please vote. They will close Thursday night.
We'll be back with football results.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
The People's Choice - Week 3
For football fans, the acronym should be TGIS: Thank goodness it's Sunday!
Another round of NFL games are on the slate, and the People's Pigskin is ready for its People's League matchup against the Chicago VinSethBears. Thanks to everyone for voting on our lineup. Here are the results.
Quarterback. Peyton Manning? Really? You want to start the player who leads quarterbacks in ESPN fantasy points? Well, OK, if you insist. He gets the Denver Broncos.
Running back. Knowshon Moreno threw a wrench in the works by injuring his hamstring. But that's OK. You, the Internet, rose to the occasion and voted to start Michael Turner (who faces the New Orleans Saints) and Darren McFadden (who plays against the Arizona Cardinals).
Wide receiver. Calvin Johnson may not have won a game yet (though that may change today against the Minnesota Vikings), but he won this week's poll. He and runner-up Chad Ochocinco (who plays the Carolina Panthers) get the wide receiver spots.
Dwayne Bowe finished third, but since he isn't injured, he gets the flex spot for his game against the San Francisco 49ers, which hasn't changed quarterbacks but has changed softball-throwing reporters.
No changes at tight end (Antonio Gates, who faces the Seattle Seahawks), defense (the Minnesota Vikings) or kicker (Jeff Reed, who gets the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Thanks again for voting. The results appear below. Feel free to vote in our quick gameday poll. We'll be back with results.
[polldaddy poll=3795679] [polldaddy poll=3795690] [polldaddy poll=3795694] [polldaddy poll=3795702] [polldaddy poll=3795705] [polldaddy poll=3795716]
Another round of NFL games are on the slate, and the People's Pigskin is ready for its People's League matchup against the Chicago VinSethBears. Thanks to everyone for voting on our lineup. Here are the results.
Quarterback. Peyton Manning? Really? You want to start the player who leads quarterbacks in ESPN fantasy points? Well, OK, if you insist. He gets the Denver Broncos.
Running back. Knowshon Moreno threw a wrench in the works by injuring his hamstring. But that's OK. You, the Internet, rose to the occasion and voted to start Michael Turner (who faces the New Orleans Saints) and Darren McFadden (who plays against the Arizona Cardinals).
Wide receiver. Calvin Johnson may not have won a game yet (though that may change today against the Minnesota Vikings), but he won this week's poll. He and runner-up Chad Ochocinco (who plays the Carolina Panthers) get the wide receiver spots.
Dwayne Bowe finished third, but since he isn't injured, he gets the flex spot for his game against the San Francisco 49ers, which hasn't changed quarterbacks but has changed softball-throwing reporters.
No changes at tight end (Antonio Gates, who faces the Seattle Seahawks), defense (the Minnesota Vikings) or kicker (Jeff Reed, who gets the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Thanks again for voting. The results appear below. Feel free to vote in our quick gameday poll. We'll be back with results.
[polldaddy poll=3795679] [polldaddy poll=3795690] [polldaddy poll=3795694] [polldaddy poll=3795702] [polldaddy poll=3795705] [polldaddy poll=3795716]
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Fearless NASCAR Predictions - Dover
Most weeks, the people who run this blog already know by Friday evening who seems to be likely candidates for our weekly predictions about which NASCAR drivers will finish in the top 10 for that week's race.
Then you have weeks like this one.
First, Denny Hamlin disputed Clint Bowyer's account of how his car failed its inspection. Then, Kevin Harvick decided to use Saturday's practice session not to get his car ready for Sunday's Sprint Cup race, but to express his displeasure with Hamlin.
As of this writing, both Hamlin and Harvick are still scheduled to drive the race at Dover International Speedway. However, since they still might turn that race into their own personal demolition derby, neither driver will appear in these predictions. (Neither will Bowyer, whose crew chief has been suspended for six races.)
As for last week's forecasts, they went 5-5, leaving us with a season record of 124-136.
Now, on to this week's predictions.
1. Jimmie Johnson. Four Cups, the pole and the ability to drive away from Harvick and/or Hamlin if either driver still has any residual anger.
2. Kyle Busch. Who benefits when the points leader has a dispute with the driver in second place? The driver in third place, of course.
3. Jeff Gordon. Unless it's the driver who leaped up to fourth place.
4. Matt Kenseth. Since he is appearing in the People's Pitstop lineup for the last time this season, he might as well make the most of it.
5. Tony Stewart. He probably would rather be known for something other than the answer to the trivia question "Who was the last driver other than Johnson to win the Cup?"
6. Greg Biffle. Of the top 10 qualifiers for this race, only five are participating in the Chase for the Cup: Johnson, Biffle, the ineligible-for-these-picks Hamlin ...
7 and 8. Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards. ... and these two.
9. Juan Pablo Montoya. Would you have guessed that, among non-Chase drivers, Montoya has the most top 10 finishes this season (13)? Neither would we.
10. A.J. Allmendinger. This week's medium to long shot was an easy pick. Allmendinger, by hook or by crook, is starting on the front row.
Remember that the lineup polls for the People's Pigskin are still open. You have until Sunday morning to help the Internet's favorite fantasy football team defeat the Chicago VinSethBears and raise its record to 3-0. Please vote now.
We'll be back with the poll results.
Then you have weeks like this one.
First, Denny Hamlin disputed Clint Bowyer's account of how his car failed its inspection. Then, Kevin Harvick decided to use Saturday's practice session not to get his car ready for Sunday's Sprint Cup race, but to express his displeasure with Hamlin.
As of this writing, both Hamlin and Harvick are still scheduled to drive the race at Dover International Speedway. However, since they still might turn that race into their own personal demolition derby, neither driver will appear in these predictions. (Neither will Bowyer, whose crew chief has been suspended for six races.)
As for last week's forecasts, they went 5-5, leaving us with a season record of 124-136.
Now, on to this week's predictions.
1. Jimmie Johnson. Four Cups, the pole and the ability to drive away from Harvick and/or Hamlin if either driver still has any residual anger.
2. Kyle Busch. Who benefits when the points leader has a dispute with the driver in second place? The driver in third place, of course.
3. Jeff Gordon. Unless it's the driver who leaped up to fourth place.
4. Matt Kenseth. Since he is appearing in the People's Pitstop lineup for the last time this season, he might as well make the most of it.
5. Tony Stewart. He probably would rather be known for something other than the answer to the trivia question "Who was the last driver other than Johnson to win the Cup?"
6. Greg Biffle. Of the top 10 qualifiers for this race, only five are participating in the Chase for the Cup: Johnson, Biffle, the ineligible-for-these-picks Hamlin ...
7 and 8. Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards. ... and these two.
9. Juan Pablo Montoya. Would you have guessed that, among non-Chase drivers, Montoya has the most top 10 finishes this season (13)? Neither would we.
10. A.J. Allmendinger. This week's medium to long shot was an easy pick. Allmendinger, by hook or by crook, is starting on the front row.
Remember that the lineup polls for the People's Pigskin are still open. You have until Sunday morning to help the Internet's favorite fantasy football team defeat the Chicago VinSethBears and raise its record to 3-0. Please vote now.
We'll be back with the poll results.
Fearless Football Predictions - Week 3
Saturday is often a day to tackle yard work and overdose on college football.
For the People's Pigskin, this Saturday is a day to fall back to earth.
Our predictions last week for the People's League went a pedestrian 2-3, lowering our previously perfect season record to 7-3. We're still well above .500, and with this week's predictions, we hope to keep it that way.
People's Pigskin vs. Chicago VinSethBears. Peyton Manning and Antonio Gates are tops in their positions in fantasy points, and there's no reason for that to change. The VinSethBears will get plenty of Monday night points from Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, but not enough to deny the Internet's favorite fantasy football team another win.
nuckin' futs vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. The Minnesota Vikings need a win, and they need one quickly. Fortunately, the Detroit Lions are coming to town. Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson will not both put up big numbers, but one of them will put up enough points to steer the Hawks to their first victory.
Fighting Amish vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. Put simply, I wouldn't bet against Matt Schaub right now. He and the Amish should be 3-0 by this time next week.
Team z vs. NFL2K10 RedZone. You've got to be happy for Josh Freeman. He and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off to a surprisingly strong start. Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh Steelers won't be very impressed. That fact plus Chris Johnson (now angry because said Steelers snapped his 100-yard-game streak) add up to a RedZone win.
cowboys romero vs. Feely Her Up ... Which is more questionable: Clinton Portis' status or having to use Derek Anderson as your starting quarterback? Yes, Anderson gets the Oakland Raiders this week, but he won't put up enough points to hold off the Feelys.
We'll be back later with the NASCAR predictions. In the meantime, remember to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for its matchup against the VinSethBears. Your votes can help us get to 3-0.
For the People's Pigskin, this Saturday is a day to fall back to earth.
Our predictions last week for the People's League went a pedestrian 2-3, lowering our previously perfect season record to 7-3. We're still well above .500, and with this week's predictions, we hope to keep it that way.
People's Pigskin vs. Chicago VinSethBears. Peyton Manning and Antonio Gates are tops in their positions in fantasy points, and there's no reason for that to change. The VinSethBears will get plenty of Monday night points from Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, but not enough to deny the Internet's favorite fantasy football team another win.
nuckin' futs vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. The Minnesota Vikings need a win, and they need one quickly. Fortunately, the Detroit Lions are coming to town. Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson will not both put up big numbers, but one of them will put up enough points to steer the Hawks to their first victory.
Fighting Amish vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. Put simply, I wouldn't bet against Matt Schaub right now. He and the Amish should be 3-0 by this time next week.
Team z vs. NFL2K10 RedZone. You've got to be happy for Josh Freeman. He and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off to a surprisingly strong start. Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh Steelers won't be very impressed. That fact plus Chris Johnson (now angry because said Steelers snapped his 100-yard-game streak) add up to a RedZone win.
cowboys romero vs. Feely Her Up ... Which is more questionable: Clinton Portis' status or having to use Derek Anderson as your starting quarterback? Yes, Anderson gets the Oakland Raiders this week, but he won't put up enough points to hold off the Feelys.
We'll be back later with the NASCAR predictions. In the meantime, remember to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for its matchup against the VinSethBears. Your votes can help us get to 3-0.
Friday, September 24, 2010
The People's Results - Dover
The leaves are starting to change in certain parts of the country (and so are the quarterbacks), but one thing that isn't changing is your level of enthusiasm for the People's Pitstop. You, the Internet, have selected the lineup that will represent the Web's favorite fantasy NASCAR team this weekend in Dover. Here are the results.
A List. Jimmie Johnson, who is gunning for a fifth straight Sprint Cup, won this week's vote (and starting spot) over Denny Hamlin.
B List. Another week, another tie. This time, it's a four-way draw between Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne and David Reutimann. The two top qualifiers will start for the People's Pitstop. And if Matt Kenseth starts, it will be his last start for us this season.
C List. There must be something about Scott Speed. He won this poll yet again and will make his fifth start for us this season. Sam Hornish Jr., whose future is still up in the air, will sit on the bench.
You can see the poll results below. Thanks for voting, and if you haven't already voted on the People's Pigskin lineup, please vote on those polls now.
Oh, and if anyone is driving down to Dover for the weekend, would they mind picking me up a few football tickets? (Just kidding.)
UPDATED 6:30 P.M. The qualifying session is over, and Johnson confirmed your confidence in him by winning the freaking pole (and earning us a 10-point bonus). Hamlin qualified 4th; he stays on the bench but give us a 1-point bonus. Speed qualified 20th, or a single spot ahead of Hornish.
The B List qualifying competition was probably the tightest in the People's Pitstop's history. Your starters are Newman (13th) and Kenseth (14th; Sunday will indeed be his swan song for us). Kahne (16th) and Reutimann (17th) will sit on the bench.
And a football note. Knowshon Moreno was declared out for Sunday's game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts because of a hamstring injury. It's too late to alter the poll, but you can rest assured that the People's Pigskin will not start him Sunday. Who should we put in his place? If you haven't voted, do so now.
We'll be back with some predictions.
[polldaddy poll=3789689] [polldaddy poll=3789695] [polldaddy poll=3789709]
A List. Jimmie Johnson, who is gunning for a fifth straight Sprint Cup, won this week's vote (and starting spot) over Denny Hamlin.
B List. Another week, another tie. This time, it's a four-way draw between Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne and David Reutimann. The two top qualifiers will start for the People's Pitstop. And if Matt Kenseth starts, it will be his last start for us this season.
C List. There must be something about Scott Speed. He won this poll yet again and will make his fifth start for us this season. Sam Hornish Jr., whose future is still up in the air, will sit on the bench.
You can see the poll results below. Thanks for voting, and if you haven't already voted on the People's Pigskin lineup, please vote on those polls now.
Oh, and if anyone is driving down to Dover for the weekend, would they mind picking me up a few football tickets? (Just kidding.)
UPDATED 6:30 P.M. The qualifying session is over, and Johnson confirmed your confidence in him by winning the freaking pole (and earning us a 10-point bonus). Hamlin qualified 4th; he stays on the bench but give us a 1-point bonus. Speed qualified 20th, or a single spot ahead of Hornish.
The B List qualifying competition was probably the tightest in the People's Pitstop's history. Your starters are Newman (13th) and Kenseth (14th; Sunday will indeed be his swan song for us). Kahne (16th) and Reutimann (17th) will sit on the bench.
And a football note. Knowshon Moreno was declared out for Sunday's game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts because of a hamstring injury. It's too late to alter the poll, but you can rest assured that the People's Pigskin will not start him Sunday. Who should we put in his place? If you haven't voted, do so now.
We'll be back with some predictions.
[polldaddy poll=3789689] [polldaddy poll=3789695] [polldaddy poll=3789709]
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Recommended Thursday Night Reading
(First, a quick NASCAR note: Remember the other day, when I wrote that Clint Bowyer was a legitimate contender to dethrone Jimmie Johnson as the Sprint Cup champion, as long as he kept passing inspections? Um ... never mind.)
Here are a few links for you fantasy football fans to peruse while you wait for the weekend to arrive.
Yes, the first one is about kickers. Deal with it. I'm sure somebody out there lost a fantasy football game because of what happened to Graham Gano. He was the Washington Redskins kicker who kicked what should have been the game-winning field goal Sunday against Houston, only Gary Kubiak called timeout, forcing Gano to rekick (and miss).
More than a few people are thinking "There ought to be a rule against that sort of thing." But according to the Wall Street Journal, that might not be necessary. The Journal studied NFL kicks attempted since 2000 in overtime or the last two minutes of regulation, and it found kickers are more likely to make their kicks if the opposing coach uses the old "icing the kicker" trick.
Of course, that's cold comfort for those who lost the game thanks to Gano's miss and/or Neil Rackers' subsequent game-winning kick.
So let me get this straight ... The Oakland Raiders are smart for calling on Bruce Gradkowski to start in Week 3 over a healthy Jason Campbell, but the Philadelphia Eagles are crazy for calling on Michael Vick to start in Week 3 over a now-healthy Kevin Kolb? In the immortal words of Chevy Chase, can I get a ruling on this?
(Here's your ruling: Start Vick if you have him. Wait and see on Gradkowski.)
The dummy factor. As long as it involves NFL players, fantasy football will always have to deal with situations like Braylon Edwards' DWI arrest -- which, before we go on, was despicable, especially given the program that the team offers to its players precisely to prevent things like this from happening.
The courts will have their say on the matter in due time, and Roger Goodell may or may not wait until then to render his verdict. In the meantime, the New York Jets have a game to play Sunday night, and their plans for Edwards remain murky. The team has said he won't start but will play against the Dolphins. That could mean he'll miss the first series but will play the rest of the game. It could mean he could make a token appearance in the fourth quarter. It could mean anything in between.
For fantasy players, it means that, in addition to getting ready for the possibility of a suspension down the road, they have to consider Edwards less of an effective option than he would have been as a starter.
All because he didn't pick up his phone and say, "Can I get a lift?"
Please vote now on the NASCAR polls. They will close in a few hours, so we can set the People's Pitstop lineup in time for Friday's qualifying session. We'll be back with the results.
Here are a few links for you fantasy football fans to peruse while you wait for the weekend to arrive.
Yes, the first one is about kickers. Deal with it. I'm sure somebody out there lost a fantasy football game because of what happened to Graham Gano. He was the Washington Redskins kicker who kicked what should have been the game-winning field goal Sunday against Houston, only Gary Kubiak called timeout, forcing Gano to rekick (and miss).
More than a few people are thinking "There ought to be a rule against that sort of thing." But according to the Wall Street Journal, that might not be necessary. The Journal studied NFL kicks attempted since 2000 in overtime or the last two minutes of regulation, and it found kickers are more likely to make their kicks if the opposing coach uses the old "icing the kicker" trick.
Of course, that's cold comfort for those who lost the game thanks to Gano's miss and/or Neil Rackers' subsequent game-winning kick.
So let me get this straight ... The Oakland Raiders are smart for calling on Bruce Gradkowski to start in Week 3 over a healthy Jason Campbell, but the Philadelphia Eagles are crazy for calling on Michael Vick to start in Week 3 over a now-healthy Kevin Kolb? In the immortal words of Chevy Chase, can I get a ruling on this?
(Here's your ruling: Start Vick if you have him. Wait and see on Gradkowski.)
The dummy factor. As long as it involves NFL players, fantasy football will always have to deal with situations like Braylon Edwards' DWI arrest -- which, before we go on, was despicable, especially given the program that the team offers to its players precisely to prevent things like this from happening.
The courts will have their say on the matter in due time, and Roger Goodell may or may not wait until then to render his verdict. In the meantime, the New York Jets have a game to play Sunday night, and their plans for Edwards remain murky. The team has said he won't start but will play against the Dolphins. That could mean he'll miss the first series but will play the rest of the game. It could mean he could make a token appearance in the fourth quarter. It could mean anything in between.
For fantasy players, it means that, in addition to getting ready for the possibility of a suspension down the road, they have to consider Edwards less of an effective option than he would have been as a starter.
All because he didn't pick up his phone and say, "Can I get a lift?"
Please vote now on the NASCAR polls. They will close in a few hours, so we can set the People's Pitstop lineup in time for Friday's qualifying session. We'll be back with the results.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The People's Facts - AAA 400
There's no time to bask in the glow of the People's Pigskin's 2-0 record. It's time to get back to work on the People's Pitstop. And it's time to discuss the track that will host Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race, the second in the Chase for the Cup.
Track basics: Dover International Speedway is the "Monster Mile," a highly banked concrete track that has hosted NASCAR events since 1969. It also holds a soft spot in our hearts, since it's one of the few places in America where you can bet on football (kind of) without risking a visit from your local law enforcement officers.
Last time we were here: Back in May, Kyle Busch won the Autism Speaks 400 with the help of a late penalty on Jimmie Johnson. The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team scored 270 points, with the help of runner-up Jeff Burton.
Other recent winners: Johnson (fall 2009), Greg Biffle (2008), Carl Edwards (2007).
Who wins here a lot: Does it seem like Johnson is here a lot? Well, he leads active NASCAR drivers with five Sprint Cup victories on this track. His teammates Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin are right behind him with four wins apiece.
So what do we know now? We know that Denny Hamlin is a legitimate threat to deny Johnson a fifth straight Sprint Cup. So is Clint Bowyer, as long as he can keep passing inspections. And we know that an exciting race does not guarantee a ratings bonanza.
Normally, this is where we would be directing you to the Yahoo Sports preview for this race. However, it's not up yet. Maybe they were waiting for Andy Reid to make up his mind first. Anyway, we'll get it to you as soon as possible.
Remember to vote on the NASCAR and football polls to the right of this post. Only you can help us set our lineups each week. We'll be back with some more football thoughts.
Track basics: Dover International Speedway is the "Monster Mile," a highly banked concrete track that has hosted NASCAR events since 1969. It also holds a soft spot in our hearts, since it's one of the few places in America where you can bet on football (kind of) without risking a visit from your local law enforcement officers.
Last time we were here: Back in May, Kyle Busch won the Autism Speaks 400 with the help of a late penalty on Jimmie Johnson. The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team scored 270 points, with the help of runner-up Jeff Burton.
Other recent winners: Johnson (fall 2009), Greg Biffle (2008), Carl Edwards (2007).
Who wins here a lot: Does it seem like Johnson is here a lot? Well, he leads active NASCAR drivers with five Sprint Cup victories on this track. His teammates Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin are right behind him with four wins apiece.
So what do we know now? We know that Denny Hamlin is a legitimate threat to deny Johnson a fifth straight Sprint Cup. So is Clint Bowyer, as long as he can keep passing inspections. And we know that an exciting race does not guarantee a ratings bonanza.
Normally, this is where we would be directing you to the Yahoo Sports preview for this race. However, it's not up yet. Maybe they were waiting for Andy Reid to make up his mind first. Anyway, we'll get it to you as soon as possible.
Remember to vote on the NASCAR and football polls to the right of this post. Only you can help us set our lineups each week. We'll be back with some more football thoughts.
Monday, September 20, 2010
What We Have in Common with the Bucs
In fantasy football, they never ask "How?" They always ask "How many?"
For the People's Pigskin, the answer to that question was "Enough." The Internet's favorite fantasy football team managed to beat the Hudson Valley Hawks by a score of 101-82. Therefore, like the unlikely Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Pigskin boasts a record of 2-0.
Here's how we got there.
Peyton Manning, QB: 20 of 26 passing, 255 yards, 3 touchdowns, 3 rushes for negative-3 yards and 22 fantasy points. The oh-so-hyped Manning Bowl looked more like a scrimmage thanks to Peyton and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts.
Michael Turner, RB: 9 rushes for 75 yards and 7 fantasy points. Turner left the game early with a groin injury, though the Atlanta Falcons are saying it's not serious.
Darren McFadden, RB: 30 rushes for 145 yards, 2 receptions for 8 yards and 14 fantasy points. All McFadden couldn't do is score a touchdown for the Oakland Raiders, who needed the help of Bruce Gradkowski to beat the St. Louis Rams.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 4 receptions, 50 yards, 1 touchdown, a 2-point conversion and 13 fantasy points. All Johnson couldn't do was win the game for the Detroit Lions.
Chad Ochocinco, WR: 4 receptions, 44 yards and 4 fantasy points. He had Johnson's day, except for the touchdown and the loss.
Dwayne Bowe, Flex: 4 receptions, 45 yards and 4 fantasy points. Ditto.
Antonio Gates, TE: 5 receptions, 57 yards, 2 touchdowns and 17 fantasy points. Neither Gates nor the rest of the San Diego Chargers seemed to miss Vincent Jackson much Sunday.
Minnesota Vikings, D/ST: 14 points allowed, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 sacks and 7 fantasy points. Normally, a team with defensive numbers like that plays well enough to win. Unfortunately, no team with Brett Favre under center is normal.
Jeff Reed, K: 4 for 4 on field goals, 1 for 1 on extra points and 13 fantasy points. If you're on a team that wins a game 19-11 and is down to its fourth quarterback, the only way you can score fantasy points is by kicking.
Bench. Our winning margin could have been even larger. Knowshon Moreno scored 17 points, and Kenny Britt scored 6. Of course, the margin also could have been smaller. Chad Henne scored only 8 points. And if we had played Vince Young, whose point total was negative-3, there might not have been a victory at all.
Regardless, it's time to put that game in the archives, enjoy the Monday night game and set our sights on week 3 against the Chicago VinSethBears. The lineup polls are now open (beneath the NASCAR ones) and will stay open until Sunday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track. Here are the results from the snack poll.
[polldaddy poll=3786434]
For the People's Pigskin, the answer to that question was "Enough." The Internet's favorite fantasy football team managed to beat the Hudson Valley Hawks by a score of 101-82. Therefore, like the unlikely Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Pigskin boasts a record of 2-0.
Here's how we got there.
Peyton Manning, QB: 20 of 26 passing, 255 yards, 3 touchdowns, 3 rushes for negative-3 yards and 22 fantasy points. The oh-so-hyped Manning Bowl looked more like a scrimmage thanks to Peyton and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts.
Michael Turner, RB: 9 rushes for 75 yards and 7 fantasy points. Turner left the game early with a groin injury, though the Atlanta Falcons are saying it's not serious.
Darren McFadden, RB: 30 rushes for 145 yards, 2 receptions for 8 yards and 14 fantasy points. All McFadden couldn't do is score a touchdown for the Oakland Raiders, who needed the help of Bruce Gradkowski to beat the St. Louis Rams.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 4 receptions, 50 yards, 1 touchdown, a 2-point conversion and 13 fantasy points. All Johnson couldn't do was win the game for the Detroit Lions.
Chad Ochocinco, WR: 4 receptions, 44 yards and 4 fantasy points. He had Johnson's day, except for the touchdown and the loss.
Dwayne Bowe, Flex: 4 receptions, 45 yards and 4 fantasy points. Ditto.
Antonio Gates, TE: 5 receptions, 57 yards, 2 touchdowns and 17 fantasy points. Neither Gates nor the rest of the San Diego Chargers seemed to miss Vincent Jackson much Sunday.
Minnesota Vikings, D/ST: 14 points allowed, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 sacks and 7 fantasy points. Normally, a team with defensive numbers like that plays well enough to win. Unfortunately, no team with Brett Favre under center is normal.
Jeff Reed, K: 4 for 4 on field goals, 1 for 1 on extra points and 13 fantasy points. If you're on a team that wins a game 19-11 and is down to its fourth quarterback, the only way you can score fantasy points is by kicking.
Bench. Our winning margin could have been even larger. Knowshon Moreno scored 17 points, and Kenny Britt scored 6. Of course, the margin also could have been smaller. Chad Henne scored only 8 points. And if we had played Vince Young, whose point total was negative-3, there might not have been a victory at all.
Regardless, it's time to put that game in the archives, enjoy the Monday night game and set our sights on week 3 against the Chicago VinSethBears. The lineup polls are now open (beneath the NASCAR ones) and will stay open until Sunday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track. Here are the results from the snack poll.
[polldaddy poll=3786434]
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Starting the Chase with a Dud
We'll sum up the People's Pigskin's weekend Monday morning. Right now, it's time to sum up the People's Pitstop's Sunday afternoon.
In a word: BLAH!!
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team picked up only 214 points during the first Chase race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The season total is now 7,198, good enough for 55,424th overall on Yahoo Sports and dropping us 26 spots, to 77th, in the Fans of From the Marbles league.
Here's how those less-than-pleasant results came to be.
Tony Stewart: Started 3rd, finished 24th, 100 laps led and 57 fantasy points, including 3 for qualifying 3rd and 10 for leading a lap. This weekend could have turned out so much better if Tony hadn't "run him out of gas."
Joey Logano: Started 31st, finished 35th (44 laps behind the leaders) and 22 fantasy points. You never want your driver's race summary to include the words "broken gear box." In fact, you'd probably prefer to see none of those words in there.
Clint Bowyer: Started 2nd, finished 1st, 177 laps led and 115 fantasy points, including 5 for qualifying well and 20 for leading the most laps. Stewart's unraveling put Bowyer into position to take home the win and announce himself as a legitimate contender for this year's Cup.
Scott Speed: Started 28th, finished 36th (87 laps behind the leaders) and 20 fantasy points. Sometimes you're a contender for the checkered flag, and sometimes you're the guy who bounces off a wall within the first 30 laps.
Speaking of bouncing, it's time for the People's Pitstop to bounce back. NASCAR takes its act to Dover, and it's time for the lineup polls. They will close Thursday evening.
We'll be back with the football results.
In a word: BLAH!!
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team picked up only 214 points during the first Chase race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The season total is now 7,198, good enough for 55,424th overall on Yahoo Sports and dropping us 26 spots, to 77th, in the Fans of From the Marbles league.
Here's how those less-than-pleasant results came to be.
Tony Stewart: Started 3rd, finished 24th, 100 laps led and 57 fantasy points, including 3 for qualifying 3rd and 10 for leading a lap. This weekend could have turned out so much better if Tony hadn't "run him out of gas."
Joey Logano: Started 31st, finished 35th (44 laps behind the leaders) and 22 fantasy points. You never want your driver's race summary to include the words "broken gear box." In fact, you'd probably prefer to see none of those words in there.
Clint Bowyer: Started 2nd, finished 1st, 177 laps led and 115 fantasy points, including 5 for qualifying well and 20 for leading the most laps. Stewart's unraveling put Bowyer into position to take home the win and announce himself as a legitimate contender for this year's Cup.
Scott Speed: Started 28th, finished 36th (87 laps behind the leaders) and 20 fantasy points. Sometimes you're a contender for the checkered flag, and sometimes you're the guy who bounces off a wall within the first 30 laps.
Speaking of bouncing, it's time for the People's Pitstop to bounce back. NASCAR takes its act to Dover, and it's time for the lineup polls. They will close Thursday evening.
We'll be back with the football results.
The People's Choice - Week 2
Everybody ready for kickoff? Good, because another football Sunday is upon us, and thanks to you, the Internet, the People's Pigskin is ready for its People's League matchup against the Hudson Valley Hawks. Here is the starting lineup you helped choose for the Web's favorite fantasy football team.
Quarterback. In one of the least suspenseful polls of all time, Peyton Manning took all the votes. He gets his brother and the New York Giants tonight.
Running back. Half the votes went to Michael Turner, who faces the Arizona Cardinals. For the other spot, Darren McFadden edged out Knowshon Moreno. McFadden has his home opener against the St. Louis Rams.
Wide receiver. Calvin Johnson, who faces the Philadelphia Eagles and hopefully will hang on to the ball this time, and Chad Ochocinco, who gets to play the Baltimore Ravens, beat out Dwayne Bowe for the two receiver spots.
As far as the flex is concerned, Moreno and Bowe drew an equal number of votes. They are also projected to score the same number of points. Since we have no other way to break this tie, we flipped a coin. (No, you weren't invited to watch.) Bowe won the toss and elected to start as our flex. He travels to Cleveland to face the Browns.
No major surprises at tight end (Antonio Gates, who faces the Jacksonville Jaguars), defense (the Minnesota Vikings, who get the Miami Dolphins) or kicker (Jeff Reed, who plays against the Tennessee Titans). However, those of you who voted "get a free agent" have inspired a rule change: If you choose that option, you will be asked to leave a comment offering a suggestion for which free agent to target.
Thanks again for voting. The results appear below. A quick football poll is now open. Good luck, everyone.
[polldaddy poll=3757054] [polldaddy poll=3757072] [polldaddy poll=3757083] [polldaddy poll=3757093] [polldaddy poll=3757097] [polldaddy poll=3757099]
Quarterback. In one of the least suspenseful polls of all time, Peyton Manning took all the votes. He gets his brother and the New York Giants tonight.
Running back. Half the votes went to Michael Turner, who faces the Arizona Cardinals. For the other spot, Darren McFadden edged out Knowshon Moreno. McFadden has his home opener against the St. Louis Rams.
Wide receiver. Calvin Johnson, who faces the Philadelphia Eagles and hopefully will hang on to the ball this time, and Chad Ochocinco, who gets to play the Baltimore Ravens, beat out Dwayne Bowe for the two receiver spots.
As far as the flex is concerned, Moreno and Bowe drew an equal number of votes. They are also projected to score the same number of points. Since we have no other way to break this tie, we flipped a coin. (No, you weren't invited to watch.) Bowe won the toss and elected to start as our flex. He travels to Cleveland to face the Browns.
No major surprises at tight end (Antonio Gates, who faces the Jacksonville Jaguars), defense (the Minnesota Vikings, who get the Miami Dolphins) or kicker (Jeff Reed, who plays against the Tennessee Titans). However, those of you who voted "get a free agent" have inspired a rule change: If you choose that option, you will be asked to leave a comment offering a suggestion for which free agent to target.
Thanks again for voting. The results appear below. A quick football poll is now open. Good luck, everyone.
[polldaddy poll=3757054] [polldaddy poll=3757072] [polldaddy poll=3757083] [polldaddy poll=3757093] [polldaddy poll=3757097] [polldaddy poll=3757099]
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Fearless NASCAR Predictions - New Hampshire
Now that you've seen that a perfect week of football predictions is possible, it's time to see if we can duplicate that feat by predicting which NASCAR drivers will finish in the top 10 in Sunday's Chase for the Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Last week's racing forecasts went 6-4, leaving us with a season record of 119-131.
1. Jimmie Johnson. He just seems to find an extra gear this time of year. Last year, Johnson four of the 10 Chase races en route to securing his fourth straight Sprint Cup.
2. Denny Hamlin. If anyone is going to unseat Johnson, Hamlin has as good a shot as anyone. He's won six races this year, and he won two of last year's Chase races.
3. Mark Martin. But neither of them have the honor of being the defending champion of this race.
4. Brad Keselowski. Should NASCAR be concerned that the polesitter for this race is not in the Chase and has been less than friendly with a driver who is?
5. Kevin Harvick. How did he spend most of the season as the points leader? By having 17 finishes in the top 10.
6. Tony Stewart. A pair of New Hampshire wins, plus a spot on the front row this week, add up to good times for the former Sprint Cup winner.
7. Clint Bowyer. He and Stewart are the only Chase drivers starting in the top eight for this race.
8. Jeff Gordon. If he wants to get his fifth Sprint Cup before Johnson gets his, Gordon's going to have to win somewhere.
9. Kyle Busch. He's won three races this season, and posting pictures of him in that pink suit never gets old.
10. Paul Menard. It's amazing that more Chase drivers aren't starting in front for this race. Menard was eliminated from Chase competition somewhere around Flag Day, but he's starting 8th. That's good enough to make him our medium to long shot.
Make sure you vote in our lineup polls. They close Sunday morning. We'll be back with the results.
1. Jimmie Johnson. He just seems to find an extra gear this time of year. Last year, Johnson four of the 10 Chase races en route to securing his fourth straight Sprint Cup.
2. Denny Hamlin. If anyone is going to unseat Johnson, Hamlin has as good a shot as anyone. He's won six races this year, and he won two of last year's Chase races.
3. Mark Martin. But neither of them have the honor of being the defending champion of this race.
4. Brad Keselowski. Should NASCAR be concerned that the polesitter for this race is not in the Chase and has been less than friendly with a driver who is?
5. Kevin Harvick. How did he spend most of the season as the points leader? By having 17 finishes in the top 10.
6. Tony Stewart. A pair of New Hampshire wins, plus a spot on the front row this week, add up to good times for the former Sprint Cup winner.
7. Clint Bowyer. He and Stewart are the only Chase drivers starting in the top eight for this race.
8. Jeff Gordon. If he wants to get his fifth Sprint Cup before Johnson gets his, Gordon's going to have to win somewhere.
9. Kyle Busch. He's won three races this season, and posting pictures of him in that pink suit never gets old.
10. Paul Menard. It's amazing that more Chase drivers aren't starting in front for this race. Menard was eliminated from Chase competition somewhere around Flag Day, but he's starting 8th. That's good enough to make him our medium to long shot.
Make sure you vote in our lineup polls. They close Sunday morning. We'll be back with the results.
Fearless Football Predictions - Week 2
Someone call the Pope, because we may have a miracle on our hands.
Last week's predictions for the People's League were perfectly accurate. That's right. FIVE-AND-FRICKIN-OH, BABY!!! That still doesn't mean you should use them for anything other than entertainment purposes. (You listening, Tim Donaghy?) It does mean the bar is set pretty high for the rest of the season. Here goes.
People's Pigskin vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team had no trouble cruising to victory last week. And there's no reason for the winning ways to stop here. The Pigskin takes another one.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. Both teams won their week 1 matchups, and both have players in the Monday night game. In the end, though, Vernon Davis will make the difference and lead the RedZone to another victory, no matter what play his coaches call.
Feely Her Up ... vs. nuckin' futs. In addition to Beanie Wells' gimpy knee, the former Beanie's Weenies now have to deal with an injury to Kellen Winslow. Both players are being called "game-time decisions." Those decisions usually don't end up going well for fantasy players. Look for the futs to win here.
Chicago VinSethBears vs. Fighting Amish. The Amish plodded their win to a narrow win last week, but now they have to face Tom Brady. Children may be scared of Brady's Javier Bardem haircut (can't you picture him going out to the coin toss and telling the Jets, "Call it ... friend-o"?), but fantasy players should fear his arm. It will produce enough points to lead the VinSethBears to victory.
cowboys romero vs. Team 9. This one is a puzzler. Both teams lost last week. As of this writing, one plans to start Kevin Kolb (who is out for being concussed), while the other plans to start Ben Roethlisberger (who is still out for being stupid). Still, Marques Coltson should give the Cowboys just enough points to seal the late win.
The lineup polls are still open, but they will close Sunday morning, so please vote now if you haven't done so already. We'll be back with some NASCAR predictions.
Last week's predictions for the People's League were perfectly accurate. That's right. FIVE-AND-FRICKIN-OH, BABY!!! That still doesn't mean you should use them for anything other than entertainment purposes. (You listening, Tim Donaghy?) It does mean the bar is set pretty high for the rest of the season. Here goes.
People's Pigskin vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team had no trouble cruising to victory last week. And there's no reason for the winning ways to stop here. The Pigskin takes another one.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. Both teams won their week 1 matchups, and both have players in the Monday night game. In the end, though, Vernon Davis will make the difference and lead the RedZone to another victory, no matter what play his coaches call.
Feely Her Up ... vs. nuckin' futs. In addition to Beanie Wells' gimpy knee, the former Beanie's Weenies now have to deal with an injury to Kellen Winslow. Both players are being called "game-time decisions." Those decisions usually don't end up going well for fantasy players. Look for the futs to win here.
Chicago VinSethBears vs. Fighting Amish. The Amish plodded their win to a narrow win last week, but now they have to face Tom Brady. Children may be scared of Brady's Javier Bardem haircut (can't you picture him going out to the coin toss and telling the Jets, "Call it ... friend-o"?), but fantasy players should fear his arm. It will produce enough points to lead the VinSethBears to victory.
cowboys romero vs. Team 9. This one is a puzzler. Both teams lost last week. As of this writing, one plans to start Kevin Kolb (who is out for being concussed), while the other plans to start Ben Roethlisberger (who is still out for being stupid). Still, Marques Coltson should give the Cowboys just enough points to seal the late win.
The lineup polls are still open, but they will close Sunday morning, so please vote now if you haven't done so already. We'll be back with some NASCAR predictions.
Friday, September 17, 2010
The People's Choice - New Hampshire
Once again, we at the People's Pigskin owe a debt of gratitude to you, the Internet. You thought hard and weighed all the relevant factors, and you helped us set the lineup for the People's Pitstop for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Here are the results.
A List. This list is populated with a lot of the drivers contending for the Sprint Cup, and we had a three-way tie between Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. The reshuffling after last week's race has made the usual tiebreaker of driver points less relevant for this particular week, so we went by Cup titles. Johnson and Stewart have them, Hamlin does not. We'll return to points next week. For now, Johnson and Stewart go into this week's qualifying session battling for a starting spot.
B List. One of the starting spots has been finalized by Joey Logano's narrow win in this poll. Three other drivers are fighting for the other spot: Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer. If Burton or Kenseth win the qualifying tiebreaker, he'll start for the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team for the last time.
C List. This poll produced another clear-cut winner: Scott Speed. He gets the starting spot, while Sam Hornish Jr. will watch from the bench and wonder how much longer he will be a Penske Racing employee. (That bench spot would have gone to Mattias Ekstrom, but he isn't entered for this race.)
The results appear below. Thank you for voting, and please vote in the fantasy football polls if you haven't done so already. They'll close Sunday morning.
We will update this post after qualifying concludes.
UPDATED 5 P.M. The results are in, and once again, the People's Pitstop earn some bonuses. Tony Stewart beat out Jimmie Johnson for the A List starting spot, and he earned us a 3-point bonus for qualifying 3rd. Clint Bowyer beat out both Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth for the B List spot, and he earned us a 5-point bonus for qualifying 2nd. Joey Logano, sitting in the other B List spot, qualified 31st, and Scott Speed, holding the C List spot, qualified 28th.
We'll be back with some predictions.
[polldaddy poll=3752995] [polldaddy poll=3753000] [polldaddy poll=3753009]
A List. This list is populated with a lot of the drivers contending for the Sprint Cup, and we had a three-way tie between Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. The reshuffling after last week's race has made the usual tiebreaker of driver points less relevant for this particular week, so we went by Cup titles. Johnson and Stewart have them, Hamlin does not. We'll return to points next week. For now, Johnson and Stewart go into this week's qualifying session battling for a starting spot.
B List. One of the starting spots has been finalized by Joey Logano's narrow win in this poll. Three other drivers are fighting for the other spot: Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer. If Burton or Kenseth win the qualifying tiebreaker, he'll start for the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team for the last time.
C List. This poll produced another clear-cut winner: Scott Speed. He gets the starting spot, while Sam Hornish Jr. will watch from the bench and wonder how much longer he will be a Penske Racing employee. (That bench spot would have gone to Mattias Ekstrom, but he isn't entered for this race.)
The results appear below. Thank you for voting, and please vote in the fantasy football polls if you haven't done so already. They'll close Sunday morning.
We will update this post after qualifying concludes.
UPDATED 5 P.M. The results are in, and once again, the People's Pitstop earn some bonuses. Tony Stewart beat out Jimmie Johnson for the A List starting spot, and he earned us a 3-point bonus for qualifying 3rd. Clint Bowyer beat out both Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth for the B List spot, and he earned us a 5-point bonus for qualifying 2nd. Joey Logano, sitting in the other B List spot, qualified 31st, and Scott Speed, holding the C List spot, qualified 28th.
We'll be back with some predictions.
[polldaddy poll=3752995] [polldaddy poll=3753000] [polldaddy poll=3753009]
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Worst Words to Hear
What are the worst words that a fantasy football player can hear?
You might think they would be "out for the season." There's no denying that the phrase can hurt you almost as much as it does the athlete himself, but all it means for you is that you need to run out and get his backup before he becomes the "Pickup of the Week." A few clicks of the mouse, and you're done.
A far worse phrase for anyone in the fantasy football universe is this one: "game-time decision." That's the one that will have you racing home, turning on every television set in the house and hitting the "refresh" button on your computer relentlessly until the team either releases its inactive list (if the team is having mercy on your soul) or takes the field (if the team is the New England Patriots, who like to treat their injury reports this way.)
Some injuries are harder to forecast than others. One thing that has helped in this regard is the NFL's new stance on concussions. If Kevin Kolb, for example, can't pass his test in time, the Philadelphia Eagles have no choice but to start Michael Vick and hope HE doesn't get injured.
But most of the time, fantasy players have to guess whether the word "questionable" means the athlete should be able to gut it out on game day (as Todd Heap hopes to do with his shoulder) or whether that athlete will be scratched late enough to make you question your sanity. The People's Pigskin benefitted Sunday when Beanie Wells went from "coach anticipates him playing" to "inactive," even though he kept the "Q" on our box score page. It's the sort of thing that can happen to anyone, even if you are paying attention.
Moral of the story: Don't take a player's status for granted, and don't believe everything an NFL head coach says.
There are still a few hours to vote on the polls for the People's Pitstop lineup, but if you haven't voted on them, please do so now. We'll be back with the results.
You might think they would be "out for the season." There's no denying that the phrase can hurt you almost as much as it does the athlete himself, but all it means for you is that you need to run out and get his backup before he becomes the "Pickup of the Week." A few clicks of the mouse, and you're done.
A far worse phrase for anyone in the fantasy football universe is this one: "game-time decision." That's the one that will have you racing home, turning on every television set in the house and hitting the "refresh" button on your computer relentlessly until the team either releases its inactive list (if the team is having mercy on your soul) or takes the field (if the team is the New England Patriots, who like to treat their injury reports this way.)
Some injuries are harder to forecast than others. One thing that has helped in this regard is the NFL's new stance on concussions. If Kevin Kolb, for example, can't pass his test in time, the Philadelphia Eagles have no choice but to start Michael Vick and hope HE doesn't get injured.
But most of the time, fantasy players have to guess whether the word "questionable" means the athlete should be able to gut it out on game day (as Todd Heap hopes to do with his shoulder) or whether that athlete will be scratched late enough to make you question your sanity. The People's Pigskin benefitted Sunday when Beanie Wells went from "coach anticipates him playing" to "inactive," even though he kept the "Q" on our box score page. It's the sort of thing that can happen to anyone, even if you are paying attention.
Moral of the story: Don't take a player's status for granted, and don't believe everything an NFL head coach says.
There are still a few hours to vote on the polls for the People's Pitstop lineup, but if you haven't voted on them, please do so now. We'll be back with the results.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
The People's Facts - Sylvania 300
There's still time to vote on the People's Pitstop lineup for this week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race. (There's also time to vote on the football polls below those polls, but that's another story for another time.) And the time has come once again to give you a glance at the site for this first race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Track basics: New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon is just over a mile long, so actually, this should be called the Sylvania 317. This track is also known as Martinsville on steroids. (Please stop salivating, Brian Cushing.)
Last time we were here: If it feels like we just left this place, that's because NASCAR was here less than three months ago. In that race, Jimmie Johnson shoved his way past Kurt Busch with two laps to go to rack up his fifth (and most recent) victory of the season. The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team racked up only 266 points, in part because Jeff Gordon (who finished 4th) sat on our bench.
Other recent winners: Mark Martin (fall 2009), Greg Biffle (2008), Clint Bowyer (2007).
Who wins here a lot: This list has a Chase feel to it. Jeff Burton leads active NASCAR drivers with four wins on this track. Busch, Gordon and Johnson have three apiece.
Time for a realignment: At this time last week, Kevin Harvick was leading in driver points. Today, thanks to the reshuffling for the Chase, he finds himself, fairly or unfairly, sitting in 4th place. Don't feel too bad for him, though. He could be Carl Edwards, who dropped from 4th to tied for last among Chase qualifiers. Or he could be Justin Allgaier, whose sponsor just broke up with him. Or he could be Ryan Grant, whose pain is far more physical.
Got all that? Good. Want more? Click here for a Yahoo Sports fantasy racing guide to this week's race. Know what you need to know? Then feel free to vote now. We'll be back with more football thoughts.
Track basics: New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon is just over a mile long, so actually, this should be called the Sylvania 317. This track is also known as Martinsville on steroids. (Please stop salivating, Brian Cushing.)
Last time we were here: If it feels like we just left this place, that's because NASCAR was here less than three months ago. In that race, Jimmie Johnson shoved his way past Kurt Busch with two laps to go to rack up his fifth (and most recent) victory of the season. The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team racked up only 266 points, in part because Jeff Gordon (who finished 4th) sat on our bench.
Other recent winners: Mark Martin (fall 2009), Greg Biffle (2008), Clint Bowyer (2007).
Who wins here a lot: This list has a Chase feel to it. Jeff Burton leads active NASCAR drivers with four wins on this track. Busch, Gordon and Johnson have three apiece.
Time for a realignment: At this time last week, Kevin Harvick was leading in driver points. Today, thanks to the reshuffling for the Chase, he finds himself, fairly or unfairly, sitting in 4th place. Don't feel too bad for him, though. He could be Carl Edwards, who dropped from 4th to tied for last among Chase qualifiers. Or he could be Justin Allgaier, whose sponsor just broke up with him. Or he could be Ryan Grant, whose pain is far more physical.
Got all that? Good. Want more? Click here for a Yahoo Sports fantasy racing guide to this week's race. Know what you need to know? Then feel free to vote now. We'll be back with more football thoughts.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The People's Victory!
It's now official: The People's Pigskin won its initial matchup against the former Beanie's Weenies by a score of 103-54. Here's how we did it.
Peyton Manning, QB: 40 for 57 passing for 433 yards, 3 touchdowns and 29 fantasy points. He and his Indianapolis Colts can't be happy about their performance against the Houston Texans, but even what Manning would consider an off day is a pretty good day for fantasy football.
Michael Turner, RB: 19 rushes for 42 yards, 1 reception for 7 yards and 4 fantasy points. Chalk one up for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. They stuffed the run and forced Matt Ryan to try to win the game with his arm. Turner will have better days.
Darren McFadden, RB: 18 rushes for 95 yards, 6 receptions for 55 yards, 1 touchdown and 20 fantasy points. That's more like it. It's too bad the Oakland Raiders faced a more talented team (and runner) on Sunday.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 4 receptions for 45 yards and 4 points. Those numbers would be much stronger if it weren't for a certain ruling. Fantasy players will have to hope Calvin wraps his arms around the ball next time. Oh, and they better hope his new quarterback is as good as his old one.
Dwayne Bowe, WR: 1 reception, 13 yards and 1 fantasy point. Fortunately, this week's contest was settled before Bowe had a chance to affect it.
Chad Ochocinco, Flex: 12 receptions, 159 yards, 1 touchdown and 21 fantasy points. Another excellent fantasy performance for someone whose team as a whole did not have a good day.
Antonio Gates, TE: 5 receptions, 76 yards, 1 touchdown and 13 fantasy points. Again, his points were gravy, but his numbers, even on a night when the San Diego Chargers weren't clicking, offer hope to fantasy players that maybe Vincent Jackson's absence won't kill him, after all.
Minnesota Vikings, D/ST: 1 sack, 14 points allowed and 2 fantasy points. It's old news by now, but the Vikings' outing against the New Orleans Saints could have been a whole lot worse.
Jeff Reed, K: 3 for 5 on field goals and 9 fantasy points. You can take the glass-half-full view that Reed put up the type of points you would want from your fantasy kicker, or you can take the glass-half-empty view that Reed missed two kicks, including one that would have prevented Rashard Mendenhall's overtime run from ever happening.
Anyway, next up for the Internet's favorite fantasy football team is a matchup against the Hudson Valley Hawks. The lineup polls are now open (under the NASCAR polls) and will close Sunday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with some information about this week's NASCAR track.
Peyton Manning, QB: 40 for 57 passing for 433 yards, 3 touchdowns and 29 fantasy points. He and his Indianapolis Colts can't be happy about their performance against the Houston Texans, but even what Manning would consider an off day is a pretty good day for fantasy football.
Michael Turner, RB: 19 rushes for 42 yards, 1 reception for 7 yards and 4 fantasy points. Chalk one up for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. They stuffed the run and forced Matt Ryan to try to win the game with his arm. Turner will have better days.
Darren McFadden, RB: 18 rushes for 95 yards, 6 receptions for 55 yards, 1 touchdown and 20 fantasy points. That's more like it. It's too bad the Oakland Raiders faced a more talented team (and runner) on Sunday.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 4 receptions for 45 yards and 4 points. Those numbers would be much stronger if it weren't for a certain ruling. Fantasy players will have to hope Calvin wraps his arms around the ball next time. Oh, and they better hope his new quarterback is as good as his old one.
Dwayne Bowe, WR: 1 reception, 13 yards and 1 fantasy point. Fortunately, this week's contest was settled before Bowe had a chance to affect it.
Chad Ochocinco, Flex: 12 receptions, 159 yards, 1 touchdown and 21 fantasy points. Another excellent fantasy performance for someone whose team as a whole did not have a good day.
Antonio Gates, TE: 5 receptions, 76 yards, 1 touchdown and 13 fantasy points. Again, his points were gravy, but his numbers, even on a night when the San Diego Chargers weren't clicking, offer hope to fantasy players that maybe Vincent Jackson's absence won't kill him, after all.
Minnesota Vikings, D/ST: 1 sack, 14 points allowed and 2 fantasy points. It's old news by now, but the Vikings' outing against the New Orleans Saints could have been a whole lot worse.
Jeff Reed, K: 3 for 5 on field goals and 9 fantasy points. You can take the glass-half-full view that Reed put up the type of points you would want from your fantasy kicker, or you can take the glass-half-empty view that Reed missed two kicks, including one that would have prevented Rashard Mendenhall's overtime run from ever happening.
Anyway, next up for the Internet's favorite fantasy football team is a matchup against the Hudson Valley Hawks. The lineup polls are now open (under the NASCAR polls) and will close Sunday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with some information about this week's NASCAR track.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Racing Results (and a Quick Football Update)
First, fantasy football fans can rejoice in the fact that you (most likely) helped the People's Pigskin field a winner this week. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team currently leads the former Beanie's Weenies by a score of 89-52. Our opponent has Derrick Mason, who faces the New York Jets in the early Monday night game. We have Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers and Dwayne Bowe of the Kansas City Chiefs, who face each other in the nightcap.
Meanwhile, it's time to tell you about the People's Pitstop. The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team racked up only 264 points during Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. That leaves us with a season total of 6,984, putting us in 40,550th place overall on Yahoo Sports and dropping us 13 spots, to 53rd, in the Fans of From the Marbles league. (For the record, we finished 29th in the summer segment, which ended Saturday.)
Here's how our starting drivers fared:
Carl Edwards: Started 1st, finished 10th, 95 laps led and 92 fantasy points, including 10 for the pole and 10 for leading at least one lap. Edwards had already wrapped up his spot in the Chase, so he saw no pressure heading into this race. His finish was the best among Roush Fenway drivers.
Kasey Kahne: Started 10th, finished 29th (4 laps behind the leaders) and 34 fantasy points. It's never good for your fantasy team when your driver's Web site sums up the race by saying the driver "fought an ill-handling car."
Jamie McMurray. Started 34th, finished 17th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 58 fantasy points. To have a realistic chance of making the Chase, McMurray needed a top 10 finish and some serious help from Clint Bowyer. He got neither.
A.J. Allmendinger. Started 3rd, finished 8th and 79 fantasy points, including 3 for his qualifying spot. If these results continue, Allmendinger may find himself off the C List for next year's racing.
And for those of you into higher math, this week's total includes 1 bonus point for the bench-riding Bowyer for qualifying 4th.
This week, NASCAR begins its Chase for the Cup with a Sunday race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The lineup polls are already up and will close Thursday night.
Also, if you look below the NASCAR polls, you will find the polls for next week's fantasy football lineup. If you're feeling psychic, feel free to vote on those now, too. We'll be back with full results for the People's Pigskin.
Meanwhile, it's time to tell you about the People's Pitstop. The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team racked up only 264 points during Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. That leaves us with a season total of 6,984, putting us in 40,550th place overall on Yahoo Sports and dropping us 13 spots, to 53rd, in the Fans of From the Marbles league. (For the record, we finished 29th in the summer segment, which ended Saturday.)
Here's how our starting drivers fared:
Carl Edwards: Started 1st, finished 10th, 95 laps led and 92 fantasy points, including 10 for the pole and 10 for leading at least one lap. Edwards had already wrapped up his spot in the Chase, so he saw no pressure heading into this race. His finish was the best among Roush Fenway drivers.
Kasey Kahne: Started 10th, finished 29th (4 laps behind the leaders) and 34 fantasy points. It's never good for your fantasy team when your driver's Web site sums up the race by saying the driver "fought an ill-handling car."
Jamie McMurray. Started 34th, finished 17th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 58 fantasy points. To have a realistic chance of making the Chase, McMurray needed a top 10 finish and some serious help from Clint Bowyer. He got neither.
A.J. Allmendinger. Started 3rd, finished 8th and 79 fantasy points, including 3 for his qualifying spot. If these results continue, Allmendinger may find himself off the C List for next year's racing.
And for those of you into higher math, this week's total includes 1 bonus point for the bench-riding Bowyer for qualifying 4th.
This week, NASCAR begins its Chase for the Cup with a Sunday race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The lineup polls are already up and will close Thursday night.
Also, if you look below the NASCAR polls, you will find the polls for next week's fantasy football lineup. If you're feeling psychic, feel free to vote on those now, too. We'll be back with full results for the People's Pigskin.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The People's Choice - Week 1
Thanks to you, the Internet, the People's Pigskin has its lineup for its season debut, a People's League matchup against Beanie's Weenies. Here's who you selected for our starting lineup.
Quarterback. It really was never a contest here. Everyone chose Peyton Manning to start against the Houston Texans.
Running back. A mild surprise here. Michael Turner, as expected, starts in one spot. He gets the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Darren McFadden gets the other starting spot over Knowshon Moreno and Justin Forsett. McFadden faces the Tenneessee Titans.
Wide receiver. All your votes went to three receivers: Calvin Johnson (who faces the Chicago Bears), Dwayne Bowe (who gets the San Diego Chargers tomorrow night) and Chad Ochocinco (who faces the New England Patriots). Since Ochocinco and Bowe got more votes than either Moreno or Forsett, we're using Ochocinco for the flex spot.
No surprises either at tight end (Antonio Gates, who faces the Kansas City Chiefs tomorrow night) or kicker (Jeff Reed against the Atlanta Falcons).
The poll results appear below. The polls for next week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race are available now. Please vote now, and enjoy the games!
[polldaddy poll=3722953] [polldaddy poll=3722957] [polldaddy poll=3722964] [polldaddy poll=3722969] [polldaddy poll=3722976]
Quarterback. It really was never a contest here. Everyone chose Peyton Manning to start against the Houston Texans.
Running back. A mild surprise here. Michael Turner, as expected, starts in one spot. He gets the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Darren McFadden gets the other starting spot over Knowshon Moreno and Justin Forsett. McFadden faces the Tenneessee Titans.
Wide receiver. All your votes went to three receivers: Calvin Johnson (who faces the Chicago Bears), Dwayne Bowe (who gets the San Diego Chargers tomorrow night) and Chad Ochocinco (who faces the New England Patriots). Since Ochocinco and Bowe got more votes than either Moreno or Forsett, we're using Ochocinco for the flex spot.
No surprises either at tight end (Antonio Gates, who faces the Kansas City Chiefs tomorrow night) or kicker (Jeff Reed against the Atlanta Falcons).
The poll results appear below. The polls for next week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race are available now. Please vote now, and enjoy the games!
[polldaddy poll=3722953] [polldaddy poll=3722957] [polldaddy poll=3722964] [polldaddy poll=3722969] [polldaddy poll=3722976]
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Fearless NASCAR Predictions - Richmond
Now that you've digested the fearless predictions for week 1 of the People's League, it's time to sink your teeth into our forecasts for tonight's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. Last week's predictions went 4-6, leaving us with a season record of 113-127.
1. Carl Edwards. Lots of folks with a clinched Chase spot would probably either lay low this weekend or work on things that will pay dividends during the Chase. Edwards went out and won the freaking pole.
2 and 3. Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin. Each driver has five wins so far this season, and each one can clinch the top spot going into the Chase by winning here.
4. Jeff Gordon. On the other end of the spectrum, there's Gordon, who's currently second in points but has no wins under his belt.
5. Clint Bowyer. He's the only one of the top 12 who might not make the Chase. (Greg Biffle hasn't technically clinched a spot yet, but he will the moment he starts this race.)
6 and 7. Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray. These are the drivers who can take Bowyer's spot away. It would take a miracle, but this is NASCAR we're talking about.
8. Tony Stewart. If you believe in momentum, he's your man. Last week's victory was Stewart's 5th top 10 finish in his last 7 races.
9. Juan Pablo Montoya. When Yahoo's From the Marbles blog is using you as the poster boy for a post titled "What Do You Do When Your Best Drivers Aren't in the Chase," you must be doing something right. Especially if you have yet to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup race anywhere other than Sonoma or Watkins Glen.
10. A.J. Allmendinger. The medium to long shot starts third tonight and has a starting spot tonight for the People's Pitstop. What more could you want? Other than one of these, that is.
Remember that the fantasy football polls will close Sunday morning. Please vote now.
1. Carl Edwards. Lots of folks with a clinched Chase spot would probably either lay low this weekend or work on things that will pay dividends during the Chase. Edwards went out and won the freaking pole.
2 and 3. Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin. Each driver has five wins so far this season, and each one can clinch the top spot going into the Chase by winning here.
4. Jeff Gordon. On the other end of the spectrum, there's Gordon, who's currently second in points but has no wins under his belt.
5. Clint Bowyer. He's the only one of the top 12 who might not make the Chase. (Greg Biffle hasn't technically clinched a spot yet, but he will the moment he starts this race.)
6 and 7. Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray. These are the drivers who can take Bowyer's spot away. It would take a miracle, but this is NASCAR we're talking about.
8. Tony Stewart. If you believe in momentum, he's your man. Last week's victory was Stewart's 5th top 10 finish in his last 7 races.
9. Juan Pablo Montoya. When Yahoo's From the Marbles blog is using you as the poster boy for a post titled "What Do You Do When Your Best Drivers Aren't in the Chase," you must be doing something right. Especially if you have yet to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup race anywhere other than Sonoma or Watkins Glen.
10. A.J. Allmendinger. The medium to long shot starts third tonight and has a starting spot tonight for the People's Pitstop. What more could you want? Other than one of these, that is.
Remember that the fantasy football polls will close Sunday morning. Please vote now.
Fearless Football Predictions - Week 1
There is still time for you vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for its opening-week matchup against Beanie's Weenies. But now it's time to revive a longstanding tradition of this blog: predicting the outcome of each of the matchups in the People's League.
People's Pigskin vs. Beanie's Weenies. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team has gotten out to a 2-0 lead. That's a lead we should maintain throughout Sunday and Monday, leading the Pigskin to a 1-0 start.
t-bay cuervonaters XXL vs. Chicago VinSethBears. The Cuervonaters are off to a 13-0 start, and Rashard Mendenhall should give them points all day long. Look for the Cuervonaters to post the victory here.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. cowboys romero. The Cowboys have taken a 6-0 league in this matchup, thanks to Bernard Berrian's Thursday night donut. Fortunately, the RedZone has two players in the late Monday night game. Philip Rivers and Nate Kaeding should help the RedZone erase its deficit and emerge with the win.
Hudson Valley Hawks vs. Fighting Amish. The Hawks have a 17-0 lead, but they have already used two players. Matt Schaub and Ray Rice can erase that lead by themselves. The Amish may not have the technology to learn this right away, but they should be victorious.
nuckin' futs vs. Team F. The Futs have a 13-9, and as of this writing, Team F still has Ben Roethlisberger listed as its starter. Um...you've heard he's suspended, right? The futs should have no problem winning this one.
Again, feel free to vote on the lineup polls. We'll be back with predictions for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
People's Pigskin vs. Beanie's Weenies. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team has gotten out to a 2-0 lead. That's a lead we should maintain throughout Sunday and Monday, leading the Pigskin to a 1-0 start.
t-bay cuervonaters XXL vs. Chicago VinSethBears. The Cuervonaters are off to a 13-0 start, and Rashard Mendenhall should give them points all day long. Look for the Cuervonaters to post the victory here.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. cowboys romero. The Cowboys have taken a 6-0 league in this matchup, thanks to Bernard Berrian's Thursday night donut. Fortunately, the RedZone has two players in the late Monday night game. Philip Rivers and Nate Kaeding should help the RedZone erase its deficit and emerge with the win.
Hudson Valley Hawks vs. Fighting Amish. The Hawks have a 17-0 lead, but they have already used two players. Matt Schaub and Ray Rice can erase that lead by themselves. The Amish may not have the technology to learn this right away, but they should be victorious.
nuckin' futs vs. Team F. The Futs have a 13-9, and as of this writing, Team F still has Ben Roethlisberger listed as its starter. Um...you've heard he's suspended, right? The futs should have no problem winning this one.
Again, feel free to vote on the lineup polls. We'll be back with predictions for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The People's Choice - Richmond
Not only do we have the first game of this NFL season in the books, but we have also completed another week of NASCAR voting. You, the Internet, have selected the People's Pitstop lineup for Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. Here are the results.
A List. We have a tie for the starting spot here. Carl Edwards will battle Greg Biffle for the chance to represent the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team. Once again, the qualifying session will serve as the tiebreaker.
B List. No need for a tiebreaker here. Two clear-cut winners emerged this week. They are Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne. They will start, while Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman will watch from the bench.
C List. This time, we have a three-way tie. A.J. Allmendinger and Scott Speed will battle during the qualifying session for the starting spot. (Sorry, Sam Hornish Jr. fans, but he's too far down the driver points list.)
We'll update this post after the qualifying session. The NASCAR poll results appear below. The fantasy football polls will stay open until Sunday. Feel free to vote on those now.
UPDATED 8:45 P.M. Wow, what a qualifying session! Carl Edwards earned a starting spot (and a 10-point bonus) by winning the freaking pole! A.J. Allmendinger earned the C List spot (and a 3-point bonus) by qualifying 3rd. And even though Clint Bowyer will stay on the bench, he earned us a 1-point bonus by qualifying 4th.
We'll be back with predictions for both the People's League and the final Sprint Cup race before the Chase.
[polldaddy poll=3722579] [polldaddy poll=3722585] [polldaddy poll=3722594]
A List. We have a tie for the starting spot here. Carl Edwards will battle Greg Biffle for the chance to represent the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team. Once again, the qualifying session will serve as the tiebreaker.
B List. No need for a tiebreaker here. Two clear-cut winners emerged this week. They are Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne. They will start, while Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman will watch from the bench.
C List. This time, we have a three-way tie. A.J. Allmendinger and Scott Speed will battle during the qualifying session for the starting spot. (Sorry, Sam Hornish Jr. fans, but he's too far down the driver points list.)
We'll update this post after the qualifying session. The NASCAR poll results appear below. The fantasy football polls will stay open until Sunday. Feel free to vote on those now.
UPDATED 8:45 P.M. Wow, what a qualifying session! Carl Edwards earned a starting spot (and a 10-point bonus) by winning the freaking pole! A.J. Allmendinger earned the C List spot (and a 3-point bonus) by qualifying 3rd. And even though Clint Bowyer will stay on the bench, he earned us a 1-point bonus by qualifying 4th.
We'll be back with predictions for both the People's League and the final Sprint Cup race before the Chase.
[polldaddy poll=3722579] [polldaddy poll=3722585] [polldaddy poll=3722594]
Kickoff Time, Baby!
"Professional football in America is a special game. A unique game. Played nowhere else on earth, it is a rare game." -- John Facenda, NFL Films.
And now the time has come for that game to get underway, along with that other special game called fantasy football.
The National Football League opens its season tonight with an NFC Championship rematch between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, the People's Pigskin, that grand fantasy football democracy experiment, begins its quest for a 2010 title with a matchup against Beanie's Weenies. Mmmmmm, beanie weenies....
Oh, where was I?
Speaking of the Internet's favorite fantasy football team, the first lineup poll of the season for that team is done. You, the Internet, decided to play the Vikings defense/special teams in lieu of finding a free agent. The results appear below. The other polls are still open. The NASCAR polls will close tonight, while the football polls will close Sunday morning. Thanks for voting, and enjoy the game.
[polldaddy poll=3722973]
And now the time has come for that game to get underway, along with that other special game called fantasy football.
The National Football League opens its season tonight with an NFC Championship rematch between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, the People's Pigskin, that grand fantasy football democracy experiment, begins its quest for a 2010 title with a matchup against Beanie's Weenies. Mmmmmm, beanie weenies....
Oh, where was I?
Speaking of the Internet's favorite fantasy football team, the first lineup poll of the season for that team is done. You, the Internet, decided to play the Vikings defense/special teams in lieu of finding a free agent. The results appear below. The other polls are still open. The NASCAR polls will close tonight, while the football polls will close Sunday morning. Thanks for voting, and enjoy the game.
[polldaddy poll=3722973]
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The People's Facts - Air Guard 400
This is an interesting time for the people who run this Web site. First, we have another National Football League season getting started, so we have a set of polls that will help determine who will start for the People's Pigskin this weekend. (The one about defense/special teams will close Thursday morning, so please vote now.)
Second, we have a NASCAR season about to enter Chase phase. So we also have a set of polls that will determine who will start for the People's Pitstop in Saturday night's Sprint Cup race. Those polls will close Thursday night. For those of you still deciding how to vote, here are some details about the place where they will be racing.
Track basics: Richmond International Raceway, one of the oldest of the old school NASCAR tracks, is a 3/4-mile oval known for its tight turns and side-by-side competition. According to NASCAR.com, it's also "the only track to hold all of its major events under the lights."
Last time we were here: A late caution gave Kyle Busch the opening he needed to win his first race of the season. It's a good thing the People's Pitstop started him; otherwise, the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team would have scored far less than 265 points.
Recent winners: Denny Hamlin (2009 fall), Jimmie Johnson (2008), Johnson again (2007).
Who wins here a lot: No active NASCAR driver is dominant at Richmond. Johnson has a grand total of three wins here, tying him for the lead with Tony Stewart and, believe it or not, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
What's in it for them? After Saturday's race, the Chase for the Sprint Cup will begin. Ten of the 12 spots in NASCAR's version of a playoff have already been determined. Out of curiosity, I asked Nick Bromberg and Jay Busbee of Yahoo Sports today what would keep the 10 drivers from essentially taking this race off. Jay's answer, "Sponsors who would be very displeased." Nick's response, "There are 10 points on the line."
As always, you can click here to read Yahoo Sports' handy guide for fantasy racing fans. And please remember to vote. We'll be back.
Second, we have a NASCAR season about to enter Chase phase. So we also have a set of polls that will determine who will start for the People's Pitstop in Saturday night's Sprint Cup race. Those polls will close Thursday night. For those of you still deciding how to vote, here are some details about the place where they will be racing.
Track basics: Richmond International Raceway, one of the oldest of the old school NASCAR tracks, is a 3/4-mile oval known for its tight turns and side-by-side competition. According to NASCAR.com, it's also "the only track to hold all of its major events under the lights."
Last time we were here: A late caution gave Kyle Busch the opening he needed to win his first race of the season. It's a good thing the People's Pitstop started him; otherwise, the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team would have scored far less than 265 points.
Recent winners: Denny Hamlin (2009 fall), Jimmie Johnson (2008), Johnson again (2007).
Who wins here a lot: No active NASCAR driver is dominant at Richmond. Johnson has a grand total of three wins here, tying him for the lead with Tony Stewart and, believe it or not, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
What's in it for them? After Saturday's race, the Chase for the Sprint Cup will begin. Ten of the 12 spots in NASCAR's version of a playoff have already been determined. Out of curiosity, I asked Nick Bromberg and Jay Busbee of Yahoo Sports today what would keep the 10 drivers from essentially taking this race off. Jay's answer, "Sponsors who would be very displeased." Nick's response, "There are 10 points on the line."
As always, you can click here to read Yahoo Sports' handy guide for fantasy racing fans. And please remember to vote. We'll be back.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Last Word? Try Opening Salvo
Everyone circles a certain date on the NFL offseason calendar: the day by which all teams must whittle their lineups to 53 players. "Cut day" is known far and wide as the date when many football dreams die, as well as the day when players learn whether they are "safe," or at least as safe as a player ever can be in this league.
It's also the day when we fantasy players are supposed to have some sort of clarity about who's part of a team's plans and who's not. Matt Leinart wasn't part of the plan for the Arizona Cardinals. Ditto for T.J. Houshmandzadeh and the Seattle Seahawks.
This year, "cut day" was Saturday, September 4. But it was also the day when some NFL teams seemed to start forming their plans for the 2010-11 season.
Since Saturday, there have been plenty of reports about plenty of players. Some of the stories are absolutely useless to the average fantasy players. In one Yahoo fantasy league, I happen to have Tom Brady, whose name had a "breaking news" icon next to it this evening. The news that Yahoo felt fantasy players needed to know? The New England Patriots are reportedly close to signing Brady to an extension. The effect of that potential deal on this year's fantasy teams? None.
There was also news about a certain Heisman trophy winner (this one, not this one) potentially being stripped of that trophy. The effect of that on this year's fantasy teams? None. As we learned on "cut day" when two former winners got the axe, the NFL hasn't taken a player's trophy case into account for a long time.
Now, on to the post-cut developments that will affect fantasy teams. First, Darrelle Revis made a lot of fantasy players happy by deciding not to extend his holdout into the regular season. So, yes, those of you who drafted the New York Jets defense/special teams way too early can breathe easier.
If you spent a late pick on the Washington Redskins defense, it's time to scan the waiver wire. Albert Haynesworth, the $100 million malcontent who has spent the preseason ticking off his coaches, may soon be out the door. Since all he'd probably draw is draft picks, he will leave a hole in the middle. Whether a hole would be better than Haynesworth is up to fantasy players.
Oh, and as far as Houshmandzadeh, Leinart and Troy Smith are concerned, all three have new homes now. Houshmandzadeh will probably get significant playing time Monday night, while the other two are only a play like this away from being relevant in fantasy football again.
It just goes to show that fantasy football is a seven-days-a-week hobby. Plan accordingly.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track.
It's also the day when we fantasy players are supposed to have some sort of clarity about who's part of a team's plans and who's not. Matt Leinart wasn't part of the plan for the Arizona Cardinals. Ditto for T.J. Houshmandzadeh and the Seattle Seahawks.
This year, "cut day" was Saturday, September 4. But it was also the day when some NFL teams seemed to start forming their plans for the 2010-11 season.
Since Saturday, there have been plenty of reports about plenty of players. Some of the stories are absolutely useless to the average fantasy players. In one Yahoo fantasy league, I happen to have Tom Brady, whose name had a "breaking news" icon next to it this evening. The news that Yahoo felt fantasy players needed to know? The New England Patriots are reportedly close to signing Brady to an extension. The effect of that potential deal on this year's fantasy teams? None.
There was also news about a certain Heisman trophy winner (this one, not this one) potentially being stripped of that trophy. The effect of that on this year's fantasy teams? None. As we learned on "cut day" when two former winners got the axe, the NFL hasn't taken a player's trophy case into account for a long time.
Now, on to the post-cut developments that will affect fantasy teams. First, Darrelle Revis made a lot of fantasy players happy by deciding not to extend his holdout into the regular season. So, yes, those of you who drafted the New York Jets defense/special teams way too early can breathe easier.
If you spent a late pick on the Washington Redskins defense, it's time to scan the waiver wire. Albert Haynesworth, the $100 million malcontent who has spent the preseason ticking off his coaches, may soon be out the door. Since all he'd probably draw is draft picks, he will leave a hole in the middle. Whether a hole would be better than Haynesworth is up to fantasy players.
Oh, and as far as Houshmandzadeh, Leinart and Troy Smith are concerned, all three have new homes now. Houshmandzadeh will probably get significant playing time Monday night, while the other two are only a play like this away from being relevant in fantasy football again.
It just goes to show that fantasy football is a seven-days-a-week hobby. Plan accordingly.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track.
Monday, September 6, 2010
While We Were Drafting
NASCAR was holding a great race and hoping that its fans stick around when the NFL's regular season kicks off this week.
The People's Pitstop managed to rack up 295 points during Sunday night's Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The season total rose to 6,720, good enough for 38,286th overall on Yahoo Sports and lifting us 19 spots, to 48th, in the Fans of From the Marbles league.
Here's how the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team did it.
Tony Stewart: Started 5th, finished 1st, 176 laps led and 110 fantasy points, including 20 for leading the most laps. He should have this much trouble with restarts every week.
Kasey Kahne: Started 10th, finished 32nd (15 laps behind the leaders), 16 laps led and 38 fantasy points, including the 10-point bonus for leading a lap. A late get-together with Kurt Busch caused a flat tire that pretty much ended Kahne's chances.
Ryan Newman: Started 2nd, finished 8th, 9 laps led and 91 fantasy points, including the 10-points lap-leading bonus. His score would have been higher if Kahne, who blamed Newman for his get-together with Busch and tried to settle the score. It's never good for your fantasy team to have a driver involved in a dispute like this; it's even worse when your team is on both sides of one.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 16th, finished 18th and 56 fantasy points. You know you had a quiet race when your most exciting citation in the NASCAR lap-by-lap report shows you breaking into the top 10 -- on lap 26.
Ten drivers have clinched a spot in the Chase; the others have one race to do so. NASCAR takes its act to Richmond on Saturday night. The polls are up and will close Thursday evening. Most of the football polls (located right below the NASCAR ones) will close Sunday morning. The one involving the Minnesota Vikings defense will close Thursday morning. Please vote now.
The People's Pitstop managed to rack up 295 points during Sunday night's Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The season total rose to 6,720, good enough for 38,286th overall on Yahoo Sports and lifting us 19 spots, to 48th, in the Fans of From the Marbles league.
Here's how the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team did it.
Tony Stewart: Started 5th, finished 1st, 176 laps led and 110 fantasy points, including 20 for leading the most laps. He should have this much trouble with restarts every week.
Kasey Kahne: Started 10th, finished 32nd (15 laps behind the leaders), 16 laps led and 38 fantasy points, including the 10-point bonus for leading a lap. A late get-together with Kurt Busch caused a flat tire that pretty much ended Kahne's chances.
Ryan Newman: Started 2nd, finished 8th, 9 laps led and 91 fantasy points, including the 10-points lap-leading bonus. His score would have been higher if Kahne, who blamed Newman for his get-together with Busch and tried to settle the score. It's never good for your fantasy team to have a driver involved in a dispute like this; it's even worse when your team is on both sides of one.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 16th, finished 18th and 56 fantasy points. You know you had a quiet race when your most exciting citation in the NASCAR lap-by-lap report shows you breaking into the top 10 -- on lap 26.
Ten drivers have clinched a spot in the Chase; the others have one race to do so. NASCAR takes its act to Richmond on Saturday night. The polls are up and will close Thursday evening. Most of the football polls (located right below the NASCAR ones) will close Sunday morning. The one involving the Minnesota Vikings defense will close Thursday morning. Please vote now.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The Draft Results Are In
It's not quite as momentous or historic an event as, say, the invention of the Big Mac, but it's a moment of pride nonetheless.
The People's Pigskin has completed its second annual draft, and as a result, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team has a fairly strong lineup to test the theory that the masses can do just as well as the "experts" in running a fantasy team. Here are the round-by-round results.
Round 1. The People's Pigskin drew the ninth spot out of 10 teams, and all six of the players selected in the who should top our draft board polls were taken in the first seven picks. We responded by taking the best player left, Michael Turner. No truly shocking picks, except Tony Romo's pick at No. 10 overall.
Round 2. One of the side effects of picking 9th in a 10-team draft is picking again three picks later. Drew Brees didn't make it to this round, so we took the second-rated quarterback on our board, Peyton Manning. And a few weeks ago, you would have won a few bets if you guessed that someone would pick Arian Foster in the second round of a fantasy draft.
Round 3. Time to get a receiver, but none of our top four receivers made it this far. (Brandon Marshall almost did.) We took Calvin Johnson.
Round 4. Again, a quick turnaround. We took Knowshon Moreno, the winner of this year's T.J. Houshmandzadeh award for "player whose name the people who run this blog will be able to spell in their sleep by Halloween."
Round 5. Dallas Clark continued his habit of coming off the draft board ridiculously early (in the fourth round, along with Vernon Davis), but we got the tight end who was ranked second on our board, Antonio Gates.
Round 6. Time to get a second receiver. We went with Chad Ochocinco, who, despite his ongoing love affair with himself, manages to put up solid numbers season after season.
Round 7. This round saw a run of tight ends, but we were able to avoid it by taking Dwayne Bowe.
Round 8. Time to get Turner and Moreno a backup. We went with Justin Forsett, since his numbers won't go south if Matt Hasselbeck still have a gimpy back. (By the way, this was the round where the first defense/special teams, the New York Jets, was selected.)
Round 9. Since the Jets escaped our grasp, we went with the next-best option, according to our draft board, the Minnesota Vikings. They went eight picks after NFL2K10 RedZone took the first kicker, Nate Kaeding. And you probably already know what I would say here, so let's just move on.
Round 10. Time for another receiver. We went with Robert Meachem.
Round 11. We missed out on our chance to get Donovan McNabb as our backup QB, so we picked Chad Henne instead.
Round 12. Three more kickers found homes in this round, but we selected Kenny Britt as a backup receiver.
Round 13. Santonio Holmes did not make it down to us in this round, so we grabbed a third QB in Vince Young.
Round 14. We rounded out our running game with Darren McFadden, while two other players drafted kickers, including NFL2K10 RedZone, who made David Akers his backup kicker. Or something.
Round 15. The boneheaded move of the night goes to the People's Pigskin, which forgot about Montario Hardesty's injury and drafted him. Just goes to show that you don't need to have any intelligence to write about fantasy football. (Don't worry; we already have a waiver claim on Kevin Smith to take his spot.)
Round 16. Four teams waited until this round to draft a kicker, including the People's Pigskin, which selected Jeff Reed.
What do you think of our lineup? Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, the football lineup polls are open. Most of them will stay open until Sunday morning. The one about the Vikings defense/special teams will close Thursday, since the Vikings play the New Orleans Saints in the season opener. Feel free to vote now.
The People's Pigskin has completed its second annual draft, and as a result, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team has a fairly strong lineup to test the theory that the masses can do just as well as the "experts" in running a fantasy team. Here are the round-by-round results.
Round 1. The People's Pigskin drew the ninth spot out of 10 teams, and all six of the players selected in the who should top our draft board polls were taken in the first seven picks. We responded by taking the best player left, Michael Turner. No truly shocking picks, except Tony Romo's pick at No. 10 overall.
Round 2. One of the side effects of picking 9th in a 10-team draft is picking again three picks later. Drew Brees didn't make it to this round, so we took the second-rated quarterback on our board, Peyton Manning. And a few weeks ago, you would have won a few bets if you guessed that someone would pick Arian Foster in the second round of a fantasy draft.
Round 3. Time to get a receiver, but none of our top four receivers made it this far. (Brandon Marshall almost did.) We took Calvin Johnson.
Round 4. Again, a quick turnaround. We took Knowshon Moreno, the winner of this year's T.J. Houshmandzadeh award for "player whose name the people who run this blog will be able to spell in their sleep by Halloween."
Round 5. Dallas Clark continued his habit of coming off the draft board ridiculously early (in the fourth round, along with Vernon Davis), but we got the tight end who was ranked second on our board, Antonio Gates.
Round 6. Time to get a second receiver. We went with Chad Ochocinco, who, despite his ongoing love affair with himself, manages to put up solid numbers season after season.
Round 7. This round saw a run of tight ends, but we were able to avoid it by taking Dwayne Bowe.
Round 8. Time to get Turner and Moreno a backup. We went with Justin Forsett, since his numbers won't go south if Matt Hasselbeck still have a gimpy back. (By the way, this was the round where the first defense/special teams, the New York Jets, was selected.)
Round 9. Since the Jets escaped our grasp, we went with the next-best option, according to our draft board, the Minnesota Vikings. They went eight picks after NFL2K10 RedZone took the first kicker, Nate Kaeding. And you probably already know what I would say here, so let's just move on.
Round 10. Time for another receiver. We went with Robert Meachem.
Round 11. We missed out on our chance to get Donovan McNabb as our backup QB, so we picked Chad Henne instead.
Round 12. Three more kickers found homes in this round, but we selected Kenny Britt as a backup receiver.
Round 13. Santonio Holmes did not make it down to us in this round, so we grabbed a third QB in Vince Young.
Round 14. We rounded out our running game with Darren McFadden, while two other players drafted kickers, including NFL2K10 RedZone, who made David Akers his backup kicker. Or something.
Round 15. The boneheaded move of the night goes to the People's Pigskin, which forgot about Montario Hardesty's injury and drafted him. Just goes to show that you don't need to have any intelligence to write about fantasy football. (Don't worry; we already have a waiver claim on Kevin Smith to take his spot.)
Round 16. Four teams waited until this round to draft a kicker, including the People's Pigskin, which selected Jeff Reed.
What do you think of our lineup? Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, the football lineup polls are open. Most of them will stay open until Sunday morning. The one about the Vikings defense/special teams will close Thursday, since the Vikings play the New Orleans Saints in the season opener. Feel free to vote now.
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